I Never Stopped Loving You
by autumnrose2010
Summary: Bobbie was sure she'd never see Jake again, that he was out of her life forever. Yet when she has a flat tire on the way home from work one night, guess who stops to help her change it?
1. A Chance Encounter

Bobbie Spencer cursed as she felt the vibration of the wheel's rim against the road's surface. Of all the times to get a flat tire, right now had to be one of the worst. It was pitch black, and the rain was coming down in sheets. Not to mention she had forgotten to renew both her AAA membership and her cell phone minutes. If only she hadn't had to run those errands after work, she would have been warm and dry in her own house by now.

Bobbie sighed, pulled the car over to the side of the road, put on her hazard lights, and retrieved her equipment from the trunk. She felt the rain pelting her back and dearly wished that she had her raincoat with her as she placed the jack underneath the car's body and began to turn it.

She was struggling to remove the lug nuts from the wheel when she became aware of the presence of another person behind her. Her heart pounding with fear, she turned to see a man in a raincoat walking toward her. She couldn't make out his face in the dark, but she could tell that he was Caucasian and middle-aged.

"Here, let me help you with that." His voice sounded very concerned as he reached for the wrench. "My God, you're soaking wet! Why don't you sit in my car, and I'll put the heater on for you."

Bobbie knew how dangerous that proposition could be, but what choice did she have? She was having absolutely no luck with removing the lug nuts herself. She rose and walked with the man back to his car, which was parked right behind her own. He retrieved a blanket from the back seat and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Do you always travel this well prepared?" Bobbie asked him through chattering teeth.

"Only when I'm out to rescue damsels in distress," he said with a grin. Now that she could see him better, she noticed that he had dark brown hair flecked with gray and dark brown eyes. Something about him seemed so very familiar, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it.

Bobbie waited as the man quickly changed her tire and then returned to his car.

"Thank you so much for helping me, Mr. - "

"Sorry." The man chuckled. "It's Meyer. Jake Meyer."

Bobbie gasped with surprise, and the man looked puzzled.

"That's my ex-husband's name," she explained.

The man stared at her in shock. "Bobbie? Bobbie Spencer? Is it really you?"

Bobbie felt a wave of utter disbelief wash over her as she realized that she had just encountered a man whom she had once loved but hadn't seen in twenty-four years.

"It's me, Jake," she said softly, standing so that he could embrace her. It felt so nice to have his arms around her once again, although of course she could never tell him that.

"I can't believe it! It's been how many years?"

"Twenty-four."

"That's right. Nineteen eighty-seven." She heard the astonishment in his voice. "But we're both getting soaking wet just standing here talking. Let me follow you home just to make sure you get there all right."

Bobbie's mind was spinning as she drove home. Jake Meyer was a chapter of her life that was closed forever. At one time she had seen him as her hero, the man who had rescued her from being convicted of a murder she hadn't committed. His indiscretion with that tramp Lucy Coe had cut like a knife, but they had managed to overcome even that. But then, at another crisis point in her life, he had simply disappeared without even saying good-bye. Then when she had seen the photo of him with another woman, she had assumed that he had moved on with his life and forgotten about her.

Then suddenly, here he was back in Port Charles again. Whatever had made him come back after all this time?

Soon she was pulling into her driveway and getting out of her car. He stopped right behind her but didn't get out. Should she invite him in? It would only be the polite thing to do, wouldn't it? Besides, she was burning up with curiosity about him.

She waved to him, and he parked his car beside hers and got out.

"I know it's late, but would you like to come in for a few minutes? I could make us some coffee," she offered.

"I'd be happy to," he replied.

Once inside, she quickly changed into dry clothes and put the coffee on. When she returned, he was sitting on the sofa glancing around the living room.

"You have a beautiful home, Bobbie."

"Thank you."

She poured their coffee and they sat across from each other at her table holding the steaming mugs.

"So, what brought you back here to Port Charles after all this time?" she asked.

"My responsibilities in Uruguay finally ended, and I wanted a change of scenery. I was hoping to renew old ties, touch base with some people I hadn't seen in a long time."

 _Including me?_ she wanted to ask, but didn't dare.

"So you were in Uruguay working with disadvantaged children all this time?"

"Yes, but that's not the whole story." Jake took his wallet out and showed Bobbie a photo of a handsome young man of about eighteen. He had dark brown hair and eyes and an olive skin tone.

"My, isn't he good-looking! Who is he?"

"This is my son, Diego. He's eighteen now, attending university in Mexico City."

So you're married again?" Why did she feel such a keen sense of disappointment? After all, her own marriage to Jake had ended a long, long time ago.

Jake shook his head. "I met Marta at a cantino one night, after I'd been working in Uraguay for several years. She was beautiful and intelligent, and she had an infectious laugh. She swept me off my feet. I fell head over heels in love with her, or at least I thought that I had."

"When she told me she was pregnant, I was on top of the world. I asked her to marry me, and she said that I would have to convert to Catholicism first. I told her that I would do anything else in the world for her, but that I wouldn't do that."

Bobbie knew how important Jake's Jewish heritage was to him.

"After that, things started to go downhill pretty fast. There were a lot of disagreements and arguments, and before long I was wondering what I had seen in her."

"I begged for her to allow me to be in the delivery room when Diego was born. Although things had cooled to the point that our relationship was basically over by then, she at least agreed to that."

"I'm so glad that she did. Watching the birth of my son was the most profound thing I've ever experienced. There's nothing to compare with seeing a new life come into the world and knowing that it's actually a part of you, that you helped to create this tiny, helpless, perfect little individual who's totally dependent upon you."

Bobbie felt a longing stir inside her, one she had long suppressed but which now returned with a vengeance.

"I was always as much a part of Diego's life as Marta would allow me to be. I babysat him frequently, sometimes for days at a time. I bought food and clothing for him, and school supplies later on, when he was old enough for school. I took care of him when he got sick, took him to ball games, fishing, camping, and many other places. He was my whole life."

"When Diego was six years old, Marta married Felipe, who was also Catholic. She and Felipe soon had two children of their own. After that, Marta didn't seem to want much to do with Diego, so I was basically the one who raised him."

"Diego finished school and went away to college just this past year. I thought that now was an opportune time to return to Port Charles and see how much it had changed since I saw it last."

"I always knew that you would be a wonderful father, Jake," Bobbie said quietly.

Jake smiled. "What about yourself? Are you married now?"

Bobbie shook her head. "I was married twice after you, but neither time worked out."

Jake covered her hand with his own. "Oh, Bobbie, I'm so sorry."

"Just wasn't meant to be, I guess," Bobbie mumbled. She felt so awkward.

"So, are you seeing anyone special?" Jake asked softly.

"Oh no, no." She smiled weakly. "You?"

"No. For the past eighteen years, Diego's welfare has been my top priority."

"As it should be. I really admire you, Jake."

"Thanks." He smiled and blushed slightly. "But of course Diego's all grown up now."

"What do you mean?"

Jake sighed and looked at the top of the table. "I don't really know how to say this, Bobbie. I'll probably end up making a total mess of things, but I have to tell you anyway. I never stopped loving you, Bobbie. For the past twenty-four years, you've never been far from my mind. I've always wondered how you were doing and whether or not you were happy. I couldn't tell you before, but you're the real reason I came back to Prince Charles. It seemed like too much to ask for, but deep inside I hoped that I would find you still here. I wanted to see you again so very much, if only to find out if things were going all right for you and to see if there was anything I could do to help if they weren't."

Bobbie felt hot tears forming behind her eyelashes, and, determined not to let him see them, looked away. Not trusting her voice to speak without breaking, she bit down hard on her lower lip to keep the sobs in her throat from escaping.

Jake put a gentle hand on her arm. "I hope I haven't upset you, Bobbie. If I have, I'm so sorry."

Bobbie shook her head and turned away from him. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and her resistance completely melted. A moment later she was sobbing into his shoulder as he held her and patted her back and murmured soothing words.

After she had cried until all her tears were gone, he held her silently and stroked her hair.

"Look, now I've got your shirt all wet," she finally said.

He laughed. "You're much more important to me than any old shirt."

She stepped back and looked into his eyes. "Jake, we can't just pick back up again right where we left off and pretend that nothing happened. Too much time has passed for that. I've changed, you've changed, the world has changed. Everything's different now."

"I know," he said.

"I do appreciate your helping me with my car. But I've had a long day, and I'm tired and I need to get some rest now."

"Oh, of course." He lifted her chin and gently ran a finger down her cheek. "Look, Bobbie, would it be all right if I called you sometime? I'd really like to see you again, preferably under better circumstances next time." He chuckled.

She was silent for a moment, considering. "I think I'd really like that, Jake," she finally said.

"Good. Then it's settled." He picked up his raincoat and headed out the door, turning to blow her a kiss before getting into his car. She hesitated and then blew a kiss back to him, which he laughingly reached up to catch.


	2. Returning Jake's Call

Bobbie, lying on her back with her feet in stirrups, strained with the effort as the intensity of the contraction hit her. Had it hurt this badly when Carly had been born? That had been so many years ago...

If Jake weren't there, coaching her, encouraging her, she knew that she simply wouldn't be able to endure it.

"I'm going to die, Jake!" she groaned.

"No, you're not. You're going to be just fine, honey," he said, tenderly wiping her forehead with a damp cloth.

"Oh God, here comes another one..." Bobbie clenched her fists as she felt another contraction coming on, this one even more powerful than the last one had been.

Jake was right there at her side. "Come on, Bobbie, just one more push...you're doing great, baby..."

Bobbie bore down with all her might and felt her child's body slide from her own.

"It's a boy!" the doctor exclaimed, as Jake caught the moist, slippery body of their son in his strong, capable hands. Quickly he cut the umbilical cord, and the newborn began to wail.

Jake covered Bobbie's face with kisses. "He's beautiful, honey," he said to her. "I love you so much, sweetheart."

"Let me see him." The infant opened his eyes, and Bobbie saw that they were Jake's. She reached out for him, longing to take him into her arms...

...and awoke suddenly, with a deep, aching sadness. Of course it hadn't been real, could never have been real. Brock's cruelty had seen to that.

The knowledge that Jake had made a baby with another woman tore at Bobbie's heart. How she wished that she could have been Diego's mother! There had been a time when she had wanted nothing more badly than to raise a child with Jake Meyer. The passing of the years had pushed those longings to the forgotten recesses of her mind, but seeing Jake again and hearing his story had brought the memories flooding back to her, and they persisted despite her desperate attempts to block them from her consciousness. She knew that it was not going to be a good day.

When she returned home from work, Bobbie found that Jake had left a message on her answering machine. He said that he would really like to see her again and left a number where he could be reached. Bobbie hastily jotted down the number and put it in a safe place.

Over the next few days, Bobbie debated over whether or not she should return his call. Seeing him again had brought back some very painful memories for her - the beatings, the hysterectomy, the trial, the paralysis, his affair with Lucy Coe and her subsequent pregnancy. On the other hand, there was the way her heart raced every time she thought of him, the memory of his strong arms around her, supporting and comforting her, and how happy his smile had always made her feel.

Finally, she decided to talk with her daughter, Carly, about the situation. The two women met at Kelly's restaurant to talk.

"I was married to him for a couple of years," Bobbie told Carly. "He was my attorney when I was accused of murdering my abusive first husband. If it hadn't been for him, I could have been sent to prison for life. After the trial ended, we stayed in touch and ended up falling in love and getting married. I wanted so badly to give him a baby, but of course I never could because of the hysterectomy. That slut Lucy Coe seduced him and got pregnant by him but had a miscarriage. Later we tried to adopt some children together, but it didn't work out. Soon after that, he went to Uruguay, and I never heard from him again."

"How did you feel after he left?" Carly asked.

"I was still hurt over the fact that he had cheated on me and then left without an explanation, but deep inside I know I really loved him and wanted him to stay. I fell in love and married again several times afterwards, but I could never get Jake completely out of my mind. I think that's the reason none of my other relationships ever worked out. Every time I was with another man, deep down inside, I wished that I was with Jake instead."

"Mom, it sounds to me as if life is offering you a second chance at happiness," Carly said. "If I were you, knowing how you've always felt about him, I would grab that chance with both hands before it's gone."

Bobbie realized that her daughter was right. "Thank you so much, Carly. I can see things so much more clearly now."

Bobbie could hardly wait until she returned home and had the chance to hear Jake's voice again, but once she picked up the phone to dial the number, she felt frozen with panic. If he answered, what in the world would she say to him?

* * *

Bobbie forced herself to dial the number and heard the ringing of the phone. With each consecutive ring, she toyed with the idea of just hanging up, each time telling herself that she would wait for just one more ring. She was about to give up and conclude that he must not be home when she heard him pick up the receiver.

"Hello?" He sounded out of breath.

"May I please speak to Jake Meyer?"

"Bobbie! How the heck are ya, girl?"

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Well, how many women do you think I know who would call me at home?"

"Well...I don't know. That's none of my business, really."

He laughed heartily. "There's no one else but you, Bobbie."

An uncomfortable silence followed.

"Well...I don't quite know what to say..." Bobbie stuttered.

"Let me make a suggestion, then." He sounded amused. "Say that you'll let me take you out to dinner Friday night. Please?"

Suddenly she was both overwhelmed with relief and dizzy with happiness. "That sounds wonderful, Jake. I'd love to have dinner with you."

"Great! It's all settled then. Pick you up at seven?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Wonderful. I'm so glad you called me back, Bobbie."

"So am I. I almost didn't."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Just had a hard time getting up the nerve, I guess." She giggled. "Silly of me, huh?"

He laughed again. "I understand completely, Bobbie. Seven o'clock, okay? I'll be looking forward to it."

"So will I. Good-bye, Jake."

"Good-bye, Bobbie."

She felt reluctant to put the receiver down. Now that she'd heard his voice again, the urge to see him again was stronger than ever.


	3. Catching Up

She opened the door, and there he stood, dressed to the nines and holding a single red rose.

"For you," he said with a smile.

"Why, thank you! It's lovely," she said, searching for a vase to put it in.

"You look absolutely stunning," he told her. She was wearing her white dress with the black trim and blue flowers with her beige open-toed heels.

"Oh, you're such a flatterer." In truth she felt somewhat underdressed by comparison to him.

"No, I mean it sincerely." He gallantly took her elbow. "Shall we depart?"

Soft music played in the background of the dimly lit restaurant as they entered and were seated.

"I feel just like a teenager on my first date," he said with a nervous grin.

"Me too." They both laughed. The waiter brought their drinks.

"To new beginnings," Jake said as his glass lightly touched hers.

"So, how has life treated you over the years? You know my story. Now I want to hear yours," he began.

"Well...gosh, I don't quite know where to start."

"You mentioned a couple of marriages," he said helpfully.

"Oh, yes. I married Dr. Tony Jones in 1989. We adopted a baby boy and named him Lucas. There were some rough patches, but we mostly did all right until my daughter came along and ruined it all."

"Your... _daughter?"_ Jake was shocked.

"When I was a teenager, I had a baby girl and gave her up for adoption," Bobbie explained. "Many years later, she came to town pretending to be someone else and began an affair with my husband."

"Oh, Bobbie, that's terrible. I'm so sorry."

"Then after Tony and I split, I married Stefan Cassadine. That didn't work out either. Eventually I found out who Carly really was."

"That must have been a terrible shock."

"Oh, it was. I was devastated." Bobbie sipped her drink slowly. Her eyes didn't meet Jake's for a long time. He watched her silently, his face full of compassion for her.

"It's taken a lot of work, but Carly and I have a really good relationship now. Her children have really helped bring us together."

"Grandkids too, huh." Jake reached under the table and took her hand. "Bobbie Spencer, it really has been entirely too long."

"It certainly has." Bobbie laughed.

After dinner, Jake took her dancing. Bobbie was amazed at how quickly the evening flew by.

"I haven't had that much fun in so long that I can't even remember the last time," she told him as he took her home.

"Same here. We'll definitely have to do it again soon."

As they approached her front door, Bobbie felt her heart quicken in either dread or anticipation, she wasn't sure which, as she wondered how the night would end.

He paused just outside the door and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Bobbie. Thank you so much for going out with me."

He put his arms around her and held her tightly. Then he held her chin as he kissed her. It was a warm, sweet, loving kiss, but it carried no hint of a desire for any further passion that night. Bobbie didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

Jake stroked her hair lovingly. "You take care, Bobbie. I'll talk to you again really soon. Okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "Good night, Jake. Thank you for a lovely evening."

He grinned and blew her a kiss. She stood on the porch and watched him walk back to his car. He didn't drive away until he was sure that she was safely inside the house.

Bobbie went to sleep that night with the memory of Jake's warm, soft lips pressed against her own on her mind. Once again she dreamed of him, but this time it was a very nice dream, in which they both floated lazily down a stream, just the two of them, borne along by a raft or canoe.

The following day was her day off, but there were errands to run, laundry to wash, and various other things to occupy her day. She thought about Jake all morning, warm, fuzzy thoughts in which she relived various events from the night before.

That evening the phone rang while she was clearing the table after dinner. She let the answering machine pick up, but as soon as she heard his voice, she grabbed the receiver.

"So you screen your calls, do you?" She easily detected the merriment in his voice.

"I was clearing the table and couldn't get to the phone in time."

He laughed. "Well, my dear, I'm awfully glad to have caught you at home."

"So am I."

"So, how has your day been?"

She laughed. "Busy, as usual. Catching up on all the stuff I don't have time to do on days I work. How was yours?"

"The same." He laughed. "Hey, Bobbie, I just wanted to tell you once again what a lovely time I had last night and how much I look forward to the next time we get together."

"God, Jake, I just enjoyed last night so much," Bobbie said. "I don't think I even realized how lonely...how lonely I've been lately until last night."

"Well, you won't have to be lonely anymore," Jake said tenderly. He had heard the slight catch in her voice. "Sounds to me like someone could use a hug right now."

"Guess I'll just have to settle for a long distance one, huh?" She chuckled.

"Aw...hey, would you like for me to come over for a bit?"

"Well...the house is kind of a mess, and I'm barely presentable right now..."

"Oh, nonsense. You're always presentable to me. So, what do you say? Of course, if you'd rather I didn't, that's fine too. I wouldn't want you to feel pressured in any way."

"Oh no, please, that's all right..." Suddenly she wanted to see him again more than anything else in the world. "Please come over. I want you to come over."

He laughed. "All right. I'll be there in a few minutes. See you soon, sweetie."

Bobbie went into her bedroom to put on something nice, tidied the living room, and sat on the sofa to await his arrival.


	4. Diego

Jake arrived in jeans, flip flops, and a t-shirt with writing in Spanish on the front. In his arms he held a bottle of wine, a box of popcorn, and a copy of 'An Officer And A Gentleman.'

"I remember that it was one of your favorite movies," he explained.

"Oh, Jake, that does take me back." Memories flooded Bobbie's mind, and tears filled her eyes as she looked at the movie.

"So, may I come in?" Jake asked after a minute or so of standing outside Bobbie's door.

"Oh, of course! I'm so sorry!" Bobbie moved aside so that he could enter.

"That's all right," Jake laughed. He went to make the popcorn as Bobbie poured the wine into glasses and put the movie in the player. Soon they were seated together on the sofa watching the movie together, Jake's arm around Bobbie and Bobbie's head resting on Jake's chest. By the time the movie had ended, Bobbie was crying softly. Jake kissed her tears away.

"Let's watch something a little more upbeat next," he suggested. "Since it's started off as a Richard Gere night, I know just the thing."

The next movie they watched was 'Pretty Woman.' Bobbie laughed through the first half but yawned heavily toward the end.

"Okay, time for another sad one,"she said after it ended.

"All right, as long as it's Richard Gere again."

"Of course!"

Jake found 'Sommersby' and put it in the player, but Bobbie was asleep within fifteen minutes of the beginning of the movie.

When she awoke the next morning, she found that she was lying in her own bed with a quilt tucked lovingly around her. She wondered what had happened for just a moment, and then the memory of the previous night came back to her. _Where's Jake?_ she wondered. She arose from the bed, folded the quilt, and then walked into the living room, where she found Jake sound asleep on the sofa.

Bobbie leaned and kissed his cheek and saw him smile. Then she went into the kitchen and began to make the coffee. While it was percolating, she cleaned up the mess from the previous night, then sat watching Jake sleep peacefully.

* * *

Bobbie was quietly sipping coffee when Jake began to stir and slowly awakened. He looked confused for just a moment, then remembered and smiled.

"Whoa, I haven't done this in awhile."

"What?"

"Spent the night on someone else's sofa." He groaned as he stood. "Is that coffee I smell? Mm." He came up behind Bobbie and hugged her from the back, moving her hair aside and gently kissing her neck.

"Oh, you're so sweet!"

"So are you. Your hair smells nice, too."

Bobbie laughed. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"Anything at all, as long as it's with you."

"I have cream cheese and bagels."

"That sounds perfect."

"Thank you for being such a gentleman, Jake," Bobbie said as they were eating. Jake looked at her questioningly.

"You could so easily have taken advantage of me last night, yet you didn't."

Jake covered her free hand with his own. "I would never take advantage of you, Bobbie. As much as I would dearly love to make love to you, it's important to me to wait until the time is right and you're ready for it."

"Oh, Jake." Truly touched, Bobbie felt tears come to her eyes. Jake gently took her face into both his hands and kissed her lips.

After breakfast, Jake and Bobbie went for a long walk in the park and threw bread crumbs to the birds. Jake took Bobbie to a cozy little cafe for lunch, and then he said that he had some things to do around the house but that he would call her the following weekend.

"It's been wonderful to spend so much time with you," he told her.

"I just wish that it hadn't gone by so fast," she agreed.

"That's all right. There'll be other weekends, many others, and I intend to do everything I can to make up for lost time."

As Jake kissed her good-bye, Bobbie felt herself go weak in the knees. She wondered how she could possibly survive until the next weekend without feeling his arms around her

* * *

After a week of waiting, Bobbie still hadn't heard a word from Jake. _He must be very busy with work,_ she concluded. _Maybe he's working on an important case._ But when the following weekend arrived and there was still no word from him, she began to worry. Had he changed his mind about wanting to renew his relationship with her? Had she somehow said or done something that had put him off? She resisted the temptation to call him.

On Wednesday of the following week, she finally heard from him.

"Hey, Bobbie, it's me." She heard noises in the background and realized that he wasn't calling from home.

"Jake!" Relief flooded through her at the sound of his voice. "Is everything all right?"

"Listen, Bobbie, I am so, so sorry that I haven't called you in such a long time. Remember how I told you that my son Diego was taking classes at a university in Mexico? Well, he was in a car accident a couple of weeks ago. Mild concussion and a couple of broken ribs. He's been in a lot of pain but he's going to be okay. I should be able to get back home over the next couple of days."

"God, Jake, that must have been so scary for you."

"Oh, Bobbie, it was. Very scary. I was so relieved to find out that his injuries weren't even worse."

"I'm sure you were!"

"I really miss you, sweetie." Jake's voice was tender. "I hope you didn't worry too much about me. I'll see you again just as soon as I can, I promise."

"I was worried that..."

"That you had somehow put me off? Oh no, never!"

Bobbie felt all choked up.

"Listen, Bobbie, I want so badly for you to be a part of my life again, and I hope that you feel the same way about me."

Bobbie still didn't trust her voice to speak. She thought of all the times over the years she had wondered how he was, who he was with, whether he had remembered the good times they had had together, however short they may have been...

"Bobbie, sweetheart, are you all right?" His voice was warm with concern, and all of a sudden Bobbie wanted to feel his arms around her more than anything in the world.

"I'm fine, Jake. Please take care of yourself. I'll be right here waiting for you when you get back."

"That's my girl. See you soon. Bye-bye, sweetie."

"Good-by, Jake."

After Bobbie had hung up the phone, she had a good cry and then felt better.


	5. Release

_Warning: lemon_

That Friday Bobbie was babysitting her grandsons, thirteen-year-old Michael and seven-year-old Morgan, while their mother, Carly, had a court date. Bobbie was relaxing in her recliner, reading a romance novel while the boys played on the Wii, when she heard her doorbell ring.

When she opened the door, there stood Jake holding a red rose, which he immediately handed to Bobbie. "Hello," he said softly, kissing her lips.

"Hi, please come in," Bobbie told him. "These are my grandsons, Michael and Morgan."

"Hello there," Jake said to the boys, who turned away from their game to look at him curiously.

"Boys, this is my friend Jake," their grandmother told them.

"Hi, Jake." Michael smiled and went to shake Jake's hand.

"Hi," Morgan said shyly.

"I'm very pleased to meet you both," Jake said. "So, what kind of game are you playing?"

"It's a skiing contest," Michael told him. "Would you like to play with us?"

"I'd love to," said Jake.

The boys showed him how to make his own Mii character, and after watching Jake and the boys play a couple of rounds, Bobbie joined in as well. They were having so much fun that none of them even noticed the time until Morgan said that he was hungry.

"Oh my God, it's six o'clock already," Bobbie gasped.

"How about if I just order Asian take-out for us all?" Jake suggested. "Is everyone okay with that?"

Michael and Morgan both cheered, and Jake laughed and placed the order.

The food had just arrived when Carly came to take her sons home.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh, no, not at all," Jake said with a smile. "By the way, I'm Jake."

"Nice to meet you, Jake. I'm Carly."

"We were just about to eat dinner. Why don't you join us? There's plenty of food for everyone," Jake said.

"Well...all right." Carly smiled a little shyly.

"Thank you so much for buying us all dinner, Jake," Bobbie told him after Carly and the boys had left.

"Hey, it was my pleasure," Jake said.

"You were so good with Michael and Morgan too," Bobbie told him.

"They're great kids."

"So, how is Diego doing?"

"A lot better now. They finally let him come home from the hospital. He still has some soreness in his ribs, but that's much improved."

"Glad to hear it."

"So, where did we leave off?" Jake smiled suggestively and winked at her **.**

* * *

"Right here, I believe." Bobbie put her arms around Jake's neck and gave him a passionate kiss.

"Wow!" Jake laughed when she finally pulled away.

"Want some more?" Bobbie asked. She kissed him again, and this time their tongues touched. Then she took his hand and led him to the bedroom, where she put on a Kenny G CD.

Jake watched as Bobbie turned down the covers on the bed.

"Why don't we get comfortable?" she suggested.

Jake took his shoes off and lay down on the bed, and Bobbie joined him there. He put his arms around her, and she snuggled up to him.

They kissed a few more times, and Bobbie felt her a burning ache between her legs. Jake began to fondle her breasts through her clothing, which made her begin to moan involuntarily.

"Let me take this off," Bobbie whispered. Jake moved so that she could take off first her shirt and then her bra.

Jake suckled first one nipple and then the other as Bobbie moaned more urgently and arched her back.

"I'm getting there." Jake laughed. "Just be patient." He kissed her abdomen all the way down to the elastic of her pants. Bobbie was so eager for what she dearly hoped he intended to do that she hurried to help him free her from the rest of her clothing. By now, she was so turned on that the merest touch of his tongue on the delicate skin between her legs sent her right over the edge.

"Don't stop," she begged him as she squirmed and wriggled with pleasure. She felt his tongue move gently and slowly over every inch of her velvety folds and then quickly flick over her most sensitive spot as she cried his name over and over again.

Jake continued to stimulate her with his tongue until the pleasurable sensations became so intense that she could barely tolerate them anymore. Then he wriggled out of his own pants and climbed on top of her.

Bobbie gasped with pleasure as she felt him enter her. She began to move with him in perfect rhythm, feeling herself move close to the edge once more, and then over it again. A moment later, Jake cried out as he joined her there. Then he rolled back over onto his back and pulled Bobbie over on top of him once more.

"Well, how was that? Was that all right?" Jake asked gently.

"Oh, Jake," was all Bobbie could get out before an involuntary sob escaped her throat, quickly followed by what felt to her like twenty-five years of unshed tears. It was as if the act she had just shared with Jake had loosened a spigot inside her that she had kept carefully tightened over all this time.

"Bobbie? Oh, Bobbie," Jake whispered as he held her and showered her face with kisses.

Gradually, Bobbie's sobs slowed and became short, sharp gasps, then even breaths once again.

"Easy, easy." Jake stroked her back gently. "What happened, Bobbie? Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, no, no," Bobbie said quickly. "I don't know what happened. It's like there was something inside of me, like a heavy burden, and now it's suddenly gone, and I just feel so much better now. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"That's all right, as long as _you're_ all right. You had me worried for just a minute there, girl."

"Just hold me, Jake. All I want right now is just to feel your arms around me."

"Aww, sweetie." Jake held her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "Feel better now?"

"Much," she said with a yawn.

"I love you, Bobbie."

"I love you too, Jake."


	6. Pillow Talk

They were both asleep within minutes, Bobbie's head still resting on Jake's shoulder, both his arms still wrapped tightly around her. Jake was the first to awaken the next morning. He saw the soft red curls gently strewn across his chest, felt the gentle rise and fall of her breasts, saw her eyes peacefully closed in sleep, and thought of how long he had dreamed of this moment. He hadn't felt this happy and content in so long that he couldn't even remember the last time. Things just seemed to have fallen into place so beautifully that he could hardly believe his good fortune.

Bobbie stirred in her sleep, and her eyelids fluttered. He smiled and gently kissed her forehead. She blinked and looked at him with a look of confusion on her face.

"Well, good morning, beautiful," Jake said tenderly.

"Morning," she mumbled sleepily.

"Sleep well?"

"Uh huh. You?"

"Like a baby." He gently traced the outline of first her nose and then her cheek.

"I think I could stay like this forever."

"You can stay like this for just as long as you want." He laughed.

"You make such a good pillow."

"I'm good for lots of other things, too."

"You naughty boy." They both laughed, and he kissed her ever so gently on the lips. She returned his kiss.

"Wow, I acted like a real nympho last night, didn't I?"

"No complaints from me," he said cheerfully.

"I guess I ought to be ashamed of myself."

"Why?"

"Well, nice girls don't act the way I did last night."

"So, whoever said you were a nice girl?"

"Oh, Jake, are you saying I'm _not_ a nice girl?"

"I'm only teasing, Bobbie." He kissed the tip of her nose. "To me you're the most wonderful girl in the world, and nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you."

Startled, she sat bolt upright in bed.

"Is that a proposal?"

"Would you like for it to be?"

She turned her back on him, hurt. "Don't play games with me, Jake."

"Oh, honey." His voice held a pleading tone. "I'd never do that. When I said that nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you, I meant just that, but I'd never be presumptuous enough to just assume that you felt the same for me."

"Oh, Jake." She sat with her head in her hands. "Please...I just need some time...this is kind of sudden...I do love you, you know that I do, but that 'forever' thing..."

"Oh, of course, honey. I'm so sorry if it seemed that I was pressuring or rushing you. You take all the time you need. And when you're ready, I'll still be here."

"But that wouldn't be right either..."

"What do you mean?"

"That it wouldn't be right to just leave you hanging like that..."

"No, no, Bobbie. I would never consider waiting for you to be a waste of time. I've already waited twenty-five years for another chance with you. If I had to wait a few more, what would be the difference?"

"Oh, Jake." That was all that she was able to say.


End file.
